It often feels impossible to avoid distractions and interruptions in our modern, digital workday.

Between meetings (online or in person), emails, people management, commitments and deadlines, finding the time to approach priorities is a draining juggling act. If you don’t take control of your schedule, it can control you.

Instead, aligning tasks with your energy levels and schedules improves your wellbeing and leads to better productivity, this is called time blocking.

What is Time Blocking?

Time blocking can help you find chunks of time in your day to feel productive. It’s essentially a time management strategy useful for those who:

  • Handle multiple projects and responsibilities
  • Want to reduce the amount of “reactive time” spent checking and answering emails or messages
  • Find it difficult to be productive in between back-to-back meetings
  • Battle constant interruptions throughout the day with unexpected requests that disrupt your focus
  • Struggle to find the time and mental space for creative or critical thinking

Instead of relying on a never-ending, open-ended to-do list that becomes overwhelming, having a time block schedule ensures a concrete plan of what large project or set of small tasks you will turn your attention to.

Time blocking for productivity allows for a physical reminder of what you should be doing to get you back on task if you’ve become distracted. Each time block is thus a series of SMART goals to achieve throughout the day.

On the other hand, time blocking for energy management aims to match your circadian rhythm with reduced decision fatigue.

Both benefits develop your brain muscles for deep focus, enhancing your ability to concentrate with strong discipline.

Plan Tasks According to Energy Levels

Using a task categorisation tool like the Eisenhower Matrix will give clarity to what tasks must be prioritised throughout the week. Assign each task—focussing on those that are urgent and important—with an energy level: low, moderate and high.

Then, look at your weekly calendar and match each task according to your circadian rhythm. Find out if you’re a morning person or a night owl through a simple test. Our energy levels are a natural component of our internal body clock. Maybe you’re sharp in the morning, able to optimise your concentration on complicated reports and problem-solving. Or maybe you’re a creative that is most stimulated in the quiet, solitary evening hours.

Ultimately, know what works for you, navigate non-negotiable meetings and plan your system accordingly. Overall, you should see improved productivity, reduced stress, and a better work-life balance from a structure that suits your energy levels.

Use Tools for Time Blocking

Time blocking can be achieved with a simple paper and pen to plan your diary.

For a more digital approach, utilise features of programs such as Google Calendar, Microsoft Teams, Outlook or other time-blocking tools like Trello, ClickUp, monday.com. They can all aid you with setting reminders and creating blocks.

Tips for Staying Consistent with Time Blocking

The secret to optimising your workflow with time blocking is pre-planning. Set aside thirty minutes to an hour to organise your routine for the week. Allocate everything categorised as a high-priority first, in a time block that works on what hours your concentration and performance function best.

Be ruthless. Silence inbox and phone notifications if you’ve scheduled a difficult task. Multitasking, though a skill in itself, is not always the epitome of efficiency. Set aside time to clear your inbox, rather than a piecemeal attempt that interrupts your workflow.

Regular weekly reviews, either with a manager, team or individually, can help maintain the practice of time blocking. Of course, whilst a manager or group review will involve checking what activities were completed across an agreed progress chart, reflecting individually will require a more disciplined and critical method, measuring against your own goals for the week.

Allow yourself the opportunity to adjust time blocks based on changing schedules or energy patterns. If you know things are busy in the afternoon, plan your most critical tasks early in the day, in case 11th-hour changes arise.

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

If you’re underestimating the amount of time a task takes, instead be realistic. Over-schedule or at least allow buffer times while getting used to the time-blocking strategy. You will feel better having time to spare and starting an extra task rather than running out of time.

Don’t over-schedule your day, as it will lead to burnout. It’s unlikely your time blocking will go 100% according to plan throughout the day. Label a block of ‘free time’ or leave it empty to cover for flexibility.

Be prepared to adjust your time blocks. Flexibility is key! Your personal and professional life will often come into conflict with your plans. Maybe an urgent task lands on your day in the middle of the day, or your child is sick at school. Be compassionate with yourself—being productive is about doing your best with the time you have available.

Remember to schedule breaks. It’s entirely up to you how long and regular to pause your workflow—whether it’s a quick coffee break, a short walk or a decent lunch break—your mind, body and soul require self-care during the workflow. The Pomodoro Technique is a handy productivity regime to add to your day. If not, you run the risk of falling into procrastination from fatigue.

Maintain Your Workplace Energy Management with Time Blocking

The balance between life and productivity is a never-ending challenge in our modern working world centred on effectiveness, time management and success. Fortunately, time blocking is a small step to start making scheduling adjustments to your daily calendar and motivation levels.

If you or your business want more help mastering the time management technique of time blocking to optimise your workflow, check out Priority Management’s assortment of energy management courses and tips.

Priority Management is your trusted and experienced leader in workspace training. We offer a wide variety of in-house, online and public courses to help you work smarter, not harder. Call us today on 1300 139 126 to find a training program that’s best for you and your office.